


The Trouble with Birthdays

by cinderellaphant



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Post Miracle Queen, alternate titles include the one where Chloe remembers Marinette's birthday, but if you want to read it that way im not gonna stop you, not chloenette, she's trying okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:08:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29516487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderellaphant/pseuds/cinderellaphant
Summary: Chloé doesn’t remember birthdays. Why should she, when no one remembers hers? But when Chloé wants to start trying to be a better person, she decides to start with birthdays.
Relationships: Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	The Trouble with Birthdays

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I wrote quickly to take a break from my other stuff. Hope you like it!

“Chloé?” Marinette asked in astonishment. This... was not who she thought she would find when she had trudged from her room to answer the door.

“Dupain-Cheng,” the girl in front of her greeted stiffly, which was odd in and of itself. Chloé was never stiff. Cold, rude, and generally unbearable, yes, but never _stiff_.

“I thought you were in New York.”

“Does it _look_ like I’m in New York?” Chloé scoffed. “I’m back, obviously. You’re welcome.”

“Uh, right.” When Chloé didn’t say anything else, Marientte asked slowly, “Do you… Do you want to come in?”

Chloé seemed to relax, considering. “I - Okay.”

Oh. Marinette hadn’t actually expected her to agree, much less refrain from a comment about the commonness of the Dupain-Cheng apartment. Wordlessly, Marinette swung the door open wider and stepped aside so Chloé could pass.

Chloé strutted forward, bag bouncing against her hip, and it took Marinette a second to realize why that was strange: Chloé was out and about in public, carrying her own bag. No butler. No Sabrina. Just Chloé and her pretentious white tote. 

For some reason, it didn’t seem as childish when she was carrying it herself.

For a second after Marinette closed the door behind her, Chloé seemed lost, standing in Marinette’s living room as if she had no idea what to do now. Then the moment passed, and Chloé plopped down on the sofa as if she had been invited to do so, crossing her legs delicately and pointing her nose in the air.

Deciding to be polite for now, Marinette walked over to the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink, Chloé?”

“What do you thi-” Chloé cut herself off and cleared her throat. “No,” she said shortly.

It was a far cry from the “no, thanks” that was expected from guests, but Marinette let it slide. Chloé was being unusually polite, by her standards. But she still had no idea what she was doing here. The last time she’d seen her, Chloé had been climbing in a limo, her farewell to Marinette being a tight scowl and the words, “Don’t go getting too excited, Dupain-Cheng. I might be back in a week.”

She hadn’t been back in a week. That was months ago. But she was here now, in Marinette’s living room, lounging like she owned the place.

Which, if Marinette thought about it, was better behavior than she would have expected from Chloé. Last year, Chloé would have probably refused to touch anything for fear of catching the commoner’s disease or something.

“So, how was New York?” Marinette asked, breaking the silence.

For a second, something in Chloé’s face glowed, and she looked almost… happy. But then she closed off again. “New York was fabulous. Almost as fabulous as me. Much better than this place.”

There she was. The school bully Marinette knew. But despite the cutting words, they lacked any sort of sting. Marinette didn’t know if that meant Chloé had grown up, or she had. “Why’d you decide to come back?” Marinette asked.

“What is this, twenty questions?” Chloé snorted.

“I was just curious,” Marinette said coolly. 

Chloé pursed her lips, smoothing down her clothes. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve decided to grace you with my presence,” she said after a second.

“That’s not exactly how I’d phrase it,” Marinette said pleasantly, rounding the counter and leaning against it, facing Chloé with her arms crossed. “But I can’t say the thought didn’t cross my mind.”

Chloé stood up smoothly and crossed the room to where Marinette was standing. Hesitating only briefly, she reached into her bag and pulled out a package, wrapped in plain white paper and tied with a shiny gold ribbon. Chloé put it carefully on the counter and pushed it toward Marinette. “I doubt I’m invited to whatever lame party you’re going to throw, so here.” Only the tightness of her jaw betrayed her nervousness.

Marinette could only gape at her. Her birthday was next week. And as far as Marinette could remember in the ten years they’d been in the same class together, Chloé had never given someone other than Adrien a birthday gift. The Chloé she knew didn’t bother to remember anyone’s birthday. 

“Close your mouth, you look like a fish,” Chloé told her, turning to stalk towards the front door.

The Chloé in front of her had just remembered her birthday.

Marinette’s fingers closed around the package almost without her realizing it. “Chloé!” she called, stopping the girl in her tracks.

Chloé made a show of letting out a big sigh before turning around. “What is it now?”

“Saturday, four o’clock, at the park.”

Chloé tilted her head. “What?”

“My birthday party,” Marinette said. “Saturday, four o’clock, the park.”

Without a word, Chloé turned away and let herself out the front door.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated! Let me know what you think!


End file.
